


show me how

by wallstracktwo



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Miscommunication, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:01:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22838305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallstracktwo/pseuds/wallstracktwo
Summary: When Louis is hired to take care of the prince's cats, it comes at the perfect time - his life is in ruins and he's been feeling down and out. He thinks it'll be fun and easy money. How much trouble could a couple of cats actually get into?But it's not only the cats bringing chaos and disruption into Louis' life - it's also the prince.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 13
Kudos: 184
Collections: HL Royalty Fic Fest 2019/20





	show me how

**Author's Note:**

> To the person who submitted the original prompt - I put what I hope is a unique spin on your idea and hopefully you like it!
> 
> Special thanks to Anna for once again editing and making my fics so much better than I could have imagined. And for putting up with my craziness - you rock!!
> 
> And to my Mari for listening to me complain about this royalty mess nonstop for weeks. You're the best cheerleader I could ever ask for.
> 
> Title comes from 'Show me how' by Men I Trust.
> 
> I own nothing except the words (and mistakes) written below.
> 
> Please do not repost this anywhere. I am not allowing for any reposts or translations. Thank you for understanding.
> 
> Without further ado...
> 
> Enjoy!

** _Louis_ **

“Mother fucker! You have_ got _ to be fucking kidding me!” Louis stepped carefully into the small living room, throwing his hands up in disgust. “Look at this fucking mess! What the fuck happened?”

Louis tossed his head back, staring up at the crack in the ceiling, as if it held the elusive answer he was looking for. He tried to calm himself down by counting to ten and when that didn’t work, he started over again from the beginning and wound up counting all the way to one hundred and twenty-eight before he was able to attempt to get his anger somewhat under control.

He took a deep breath before surveying the chaos that surrounded him, starting with the most obvious - the dirt. The potted bonsai tree that Louis had received as a housewarming gift was knocked over, sending dirt _ everywhere. _It covered the entire top of the end table, spilling onto the couch, eventually ending up on the carpet. The glass of water he had forgotten to take into the kitchen before leaving was now turned over. Glass shards and water mixed with the dirt, creating a muddy mess.

Over a dozen leaves from the tree were scattered all over the room and upon closer inspection, Louis noticed small bites had been taken out of each leaf. He had almost stepped in one of the piles of vomit - there were five that he could see, he shuddered to think of how many there were that he _ couldn’t _see. But worst of all - hundreds of tiny little paw prints had tracked the dirt and mud and vomit across the carpet and out of the doorway on the other side of the room.

“This is fucking unbelievable,” he said out loud, to absolutely no one, considering the fact that he was completely alone. He followed the messy trail over the threshold and into the hallway. He stopped when he reached the end of the hall where the laundry room was located and almost screamed at the top of his lungs when he saw the continuation of the pandemonium that had started in the other room.

“Holy fucking -”

There was cat litter _ everywhere _ \- tiny blue and gray pebbles were strewn around the room along with clumps of urine soaked sand and poop that was streaked all over the floor.

“Oh my fucking god!” Louis yelled, not sure what else to do except to stand there and let off some steam. “Fuck! Jesus fucking christ! Fuck!” 

He kicked the box that had once held the cat litter across to the other side of the room. It hit the wall with a loud thump and out of the corner of his eye he saw a flurry of orange scamper past him, leaping over the box and out of the room.

“You little mother fucker! Get the fuck back here!” he called out, taking off after the furry scoundrel, following it out the back door and into the garden.

It ran through the garden and towards the woods that surrounded the entire estate, Louis yelling after it the entire way. “Come here you little asshole!”

Louis reached the edge of the property and stopped, peeking through the trees, trying to spot any sign of the orange furball. 

The forest was too dense for him to navigate any deeper inside and so he had no other option but to turn around and tackle the mess that was waiting for him back at home.

“Lou! Louis! Louuuuuuu!” He heard his name being called but couldn’t be bothered to answer since there was only one person who it could possibly be and they were just going to let themselves in anyway. 

He had been cleaning, scrubbing and disinfecting for over an hour and had finally gotten the living room back in order, just the way he liked. 

Unfortunately there had been a casualty of all the chaos - the bonsai tree had suffered too much damage. Louis was a little sad at having had to get rid of it - his boss had given it to him the day he moved into the tiny cottage that sat at the back of the property. He had taken such meticulous care of it over the past eight months, but now it was sitting in the bottom of a black garbage bag on the side of the house waiting for trash day.

“Louis! Look at what I found!” The voice was coming closer and he looked up to see exactly who he knew it was going to be walking down the hall towards him.

“Oh no. No, no, no.” He threw the sponge onto the floor and got off of his knees, standing up. “No, Harry. No. Seriously, just no.”

“But just look at...oh my god, what is that smell?” he asked, stopping just outside of the laundry room.

“Your fucking cats!” He motioned behind himself. “They made an absolute mess in my house. There was dirt and shit everywhere! Literally, there was shit all over. It was a fucking nightmare. They knocked the tree that your mom gave me off of the table and then flipped the litter box over. It’s taken me almost two hours to clean it all up, so no. No more cats Harry.”

“But Louuuuuu, look at his little paws. They’re white while the rest of him is black, it’s like he’s wearing little mittens. And his eyes. Have you _ ever _seen a cat with this color eyes before? They’re such a soft shade of blue, like the ocean. Just look.” He held up the tiny kitten. “They’re almost the exact shade of blue as yours,” he said, not noticing the blush that crept up Louis’ neck, reaching his cheeks as Harry turned his attention back to the creature he was holding in his hands.

“He’s beautiful Harry. Adorable, precious even. But you _ cannot _ keep bringing home stray cats. You just can’t. You already have _ five _. Your mother is going to freak out when she finds - ”

“I’m keeping him,” Harry declared. “I am the prince and as such, it is my duty to look out and care for all living things - no matter how many legs they have.” 

A small, bitter chuckle escaped from Louis’ lips. “That’s just it, you _ don’t _ care for -”

“I don’t actually care _ for _ them only because that’s _ your _ job, that’s what _ you _ get paid to do, but I care _ about _ them and don’t want to see them hungry or sick out of the streets when they could be here!” he snapped, turning and heading towards the kitchen.

Louis pulled off the latex gloves he was wearing, tossing them onto the floor, following Harry into the next room.

“Ok, yes it’s my job to take care of them, but, Harry, you need to give them some attention or spend some time with them or something because they are turning into little fucking menaces who run all over the god damn place, constantly destroying my house and -”

“_ Constantly _ ? Please.” Harry rolled his eyes. “They make _ one _ little mess and you go all ape shit. Besides, they’re _ cats _ , Louis, it’s kinda what they _ do. _”

Louis opened his mouth to respond, closing it quickly before he said something he’d regret. 

Harry was _ technically _ his boss and Louis couldn’t afford to piss him off any further and risk losing his job. He needed this job desperately - he had been jumping from job to job for the past year, feeling unfulfilled and lost, floating through life, but ever since he’d started working for the palace things began falling into place and Louis found himself happy. 

For the first time in a long time, Louis was content - he had a nice place to live, he worked with nice people and so he swallowed the comment that he really wanted to make and stood in silence as Harry turned his attention back to the kitten in his hands. “I shall name you Tom because when I found you, you were chasing a mouse, just like in that cartoon that I used to watch when I was little. Yes, Tom it is.”

Harry walked over to the cabinet where the cat food was kept and took out a small bag, but as he turned to carry it over to the counter, it slipped from his hands and hit the floor, sending tiny morsels of cat kibble flying everywhere.

“Sorry Louis.” He bent down and scooped up a handful of food from the floor. He held it up for the tiny cat in his other hand to eat, turning and heading towards the front door. “You are just such a cutie,” he said to the cat as he pushed the door open and stepped outside. “Hey Lou, come up to the main house when you’re done cleaning. It’s movie night and I’ll have Peter make us some snacks.”

The screen door slammed behind Harry as Louis stood dumbfounded in the kitchen, looking at the additional mess he was now going to have to clean up. 

But before he had the chance to get the broom out of the closet, five cats appeared in the kitchen, eating all the morsels off the floor.

Louis sighed as he leaned his back against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms in front of himself and he stood watching them clean the floor of crumbs.

++++++++++

The sound of giggles filled the air, causing Louis to stop filling out the invoice he was working on and look around.

He put the pen down, standing and following the noise out of his tiny office to the back door. He opened it, stepping out into the yard where he was able to locate the source of all the laughter.

Harry.

Harry was sitting in the grass surrounded by cats and Louis’ heart began to swell at the sight. He had never seen anything lovelier than a grown man being playful with half a dozen cats.

But this wasn’t just any man, this was _ Harry _. 

Louis had had a crush on Harry for over a year now, ever since Harry had begun making more and more public appearances, taking on more and more responsibilities as his role of prince.

Of course Louis wasn’t the only one who was fond of Harry, it seemed the entire world was slowly falling head over heels with the young, handsome prince.

His face was featured on the covers of magazines, his name trended on twitter, and articles about his duties as prince, as well as his personal life were written almost daily.

Louis’ feelings had only deepened once he began working for the palace and especially more closely with Harry. He had been able to brush them under the rug, hiding them away. But as he watched the cats climbing all over Harry, he realized that maybe his feelings for the prince weren’t as hidden as he had originally thought.

He hated when Harry got like how he did earlier - snapping at him, dismissing him, leaving him, moving on almost immediately to something else. It hurt being treated like that by his crush.

He kept shrugging it off as Harry being under the pressure and stress as the prince of England, but this time there was no excuse for the way he had treated Louis. It seemed to only continue getting worse the more time Harry spent with Peter, his trusted head butler. 

However, it didn’t matter how Louis felt, Harry was never going to see Louis as anything more than an employee, a member of the staff. He didn’t have anything to offer Harry - no money, no cars, no fancy house, nothing that a prince like Harry deserved.

So as much as Louis’ feelings had developed from admiring Harry from afar to having true, romantic feelings towards Harry and as much as Louis wished he could express his suspicions about Peter, Louis knew he needed to swallow them, keep them hidden away, never let them show. 

Harry’s laugh snapped Louis out of his haze. “Lou! Come join us!” He patted the grass on his left, motioning for Louis to sit down next to him.

“What are you doing?” he asked as he plopped down on the grass.

Picking up Katy, one of the two Siamese cats he had rescued from an abandoned farmhouse several weeks ago, Harry pet her as she purred loudly. “Well, I thought about what you said the other day and you were right. I haven’t been spending enough time with these guys, so…” Katy jumped out of his arms and walked over to Louis, climbing into his lap instead.

Harry gave him a smile so big and so bright that Louis thought his heart might just burst out of his chest. Dimples formed in each of Harry’s cheeks and Louis wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch and lick and kiss those delicious divots.

“I cleared some time from my schedule today and decided to give them all some overdue love and affection. I figured I’d bring them out here so they didn’t mess up the inside of the cottage again.”

Awe came over Louis’ face. “You really listened and took my advice?”

“Yeah of course,” Harry nodded. “You’re my friend, so why wouldn’t I listen to you?”

“I just...I wasn’t aware we were friends,” he began. “I just figured -”

“Lou, of course we are.” Harry interrupted Louis’ sentence, “I consider you a good friend, probably one of my best friends.”

Not sure exactly how to respond, Louis simply said “Thanks.”

Harry leaned over, bumping shoulders with him. “No need to thank me. Now toss the ball and watch what happens.”

Louis did as Harry said and threw the ball across the grass, but instead of watching the cats, he sat and watched Harry. He was smiling and laughing, cats crawling all over his lap and Louis realized in that moment that maybe, just maybe, despite all of his hesitations and objections, his heart belonged to Harry after all. And even though Harry only thought of Louis as a friend, he would accept that over not spending time with Harry. 

So while it hurt, Louis decided he would plaster a smile across his face and keep his heart hidden away, not willing to risk it being broken by the handsome prince.

++++++++++

“Hey Peter, have you seen Harry anywhere?” 

“Prince Harry left this morning for Switzerland,” the voice snapped.

“Oh. Ok. Because he didn’t tell me that he was leaving the country.” Louis was standing in the back hallway of the main house. He had come in from his cottage to look for Harry, needing the prince’s signature on some papers.

“Why would he tell _ you? _You’re just the cat sitter,” the tall, thin butler laughed, bitterness in his voice as he walked away, leaving Louis speechless.

Is that how the rest of the employees saw him? Is that how Harry saw him? As just the cat sitter? Sure, that was technically his job, but he did a lot more than just cat sit. Didn’t he? And Harry had told him that he considered Louis a friend, so surely Peter was wrong?

“Harry’s on TV! Everyone come quick!” Someone yelled out from the kitchen and Louis rushed down the rest of the hallway, crossing the threshold, stopping several feet away from where the television hung on the wall.

Harry looked beautiful as he sat on a floral couch being interviewed by the host of one of Switzerland’s most popular daytime television shows.

He was wearing a white tank top under a red velvet coat, with black dress pants. Hints of the tattoos on his chest were peeking out and Louis felt his breath get caught in his throat as Harry smiled, his dimple poking into his cheek. He had never seen Harry look so wonderful before and it was amazing to see his so at ease.

“So, Harry, since we’re all so very curious, tell us...is there anyone special in your life at the moment?”

He smiled, his dimples appearing, sending Louis’ heart soaring. “Well actually there is.”

“Oh really? Can you tell us more?”

Louis’ ears perked up as Harry began to describe his special someone. “He’s just so lovely.”

“So it’s a _ he? _” the interviewer asked, leaning in closer to Harry.

Harry nodded. “It’s a he. And he makes me smile and laugh and I love being around him.” He paused, picking at the hem of his jacket. “He has the most amazing blue eyes I’ve ever seen and loves to cuddle when we watch movies.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were in love,” the interviewer commented as Harry began saying something else, but Louis wasn’t able to hear anything else Harry had to say because all the employees who had gathered in the kitchen to watch Harry’s interview began murmuring about who in the world Harry could possibly have been talking about.

Louis heard his name and couldn’t help but eavesdrop on two women standing nearby. One of the women, the queen’s personal assistant Vanessa, began talking about him and Harry.

“Well he has been spending a lot of time with Louis recently.

“Oh my gosh, you’re right. I’ve seen them walking the property together. And he does have the nicest blue eyes,” the other woman said.

“Harry always looks so happy around him,” Vanessa commented. “I think they’d make a lovely couple.”

“And have you seen the way that Harry looks at him? With hearts in his eyes? It’s so sweet.” 

He tuned them out, getting lost in his own thoughts. Could Harry have actually been talking about _ him? _ Could Harry’s feelings be something more than just friendship?

Sure, he and Harry spent a lot of time together, but that was mainly because they were the only two people on the property around the same age. And because Louis had been hired to take care of Harry’s cats, they need to work closely together to ensure the well being of all of the cats.

Still, he and Harry had grown closer over the past few months, but had the prince actually just confessed his feelings for Louis on live television?

++++++++++

Things seemed different between Louis and Harry after he had returned from Switzerland. They were spending a lot more time together - playing with the cats, watching movies, strolling through the gardens on the property, having late night conversations about anything and everything from books to recipes to all the places that Harry had recently traveled to. 

Vanessa’s comment about Harry possibly having been talking about _ him _during the interview was always in the back of Louis’ mind and he started paying attention to the way Harry would act around him. He analyzed every touch, every look and it was slowly driving him crazy. 

If Harry truly did have feelings for him, then when was Harry going to make a move and either confess or act on them?

Louis got his answer one night while he was in his kitchen making dinner, the night when something happened that changed their relationship.

There was a knock on the door and before Louis had a chance to open it, there was Harry, standing in the doorway looking absolutely disheveled and completely soaking wet from the thunderstorm outside.

“Harry! Oh my god! Are you ok?”

“I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t save her.” 

Louis rushed over to him, peeling off his wet jacket and tossing it onto the floor.

“Stay here. I’m just going to get you a towel.” He hurried to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and making it back to Harry in record time.

He began to unbutton Harry’s shirt, pulling it off his shoulders and down his arms, letting it fall to the floor. “Can you tell me what happened? Are you hurt?” Louis asked, rubbing the towel across Harry’s chest in an attempt to dry him off.

“I tried Lou, I really tried. But I just couldn’t save…” He let his sentence fade as sobs began overtaking his body.

“Shh, shh...hey, it’s ok. It’s ok.” Louis soothed Harry’s hair. “Whatever happened, I’m sure you did what you could.” 

Harry reached out, lightly brushing Louis’ cheek. Louis’ breath hitched at the feathery light touch of Harry’s fingers. Neither one of them said a word for a moment before Harry brought his other hand up to Louis’ face, cupping it gently.

Leaning down, Harry’s lips hovered over Louis’ forehead and then he began placing small, tender kisses on Louis’ forehead, moving to his cheeks. 

“Harry…” Louis whispered as Harry’s lips brushed against his, chaste at first, just a light touch. Louis grabbed onto Harry’s forearms, as

Harry slowly swiped his tongue across Louis’ bottom lip, before tentatively probing Louis’ mouth, deepening their kiss. 

Louis felt Harry walk them across the room until his back hit the kitchen wall. They broke apart, Louis looking up to Harry’s face, trying to read what was going on his mind.

“What was -” Louis began, before Harry dove back into Louis’ mouth and so he let the question go, let his doubts go and wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck.

He couldn’t help the moan that escaped - Harry felt so good, so right and he had wanted this for so long.

Tugging the hair at the base of Harry’s neck, with Harry pushing him into the wall, his hands gripping Louis’ hips, they kissed for what seemed like hours, getting lost in each other as the storm raged outside.

When Harry pulled away, Louis took one look at him and knew that he had fallen hopelessly in love with the prince. His hair was disheveled, his lips were swollen, his eyes were glassy and he was the most handsome man that Louis had ever seen.

They stared at each other, it seemed as though neither of them wanted to make the first move to say something.

Louis had a million questions on the tip of his tongue, yet all he wanted to do was to keep kissing Harry. And based on the way he was looking at Louis, Harry felt the same.

And so they reconnected their lips, saving the questions for another day.

++++++++++

“Which movie?” Harry asked from the couch, holding up two DVDs.

“Umm…” Louis crossed the threshold into the living room, pausing for a brief moment, eyes wavering from Harry’s left hand to his right, “well we watched _ The Avengers _ last night, so…” Louis walked towards the couch where Harry was sitting.

Harry laughed, “I wouldn’t necessarily call it _ watching _ seeing as how there wasn’t a whole lot of _ watching _happening.” A smirk crept across his mouth as he reached out and tugged Louis down onto his lap.

As he straddled Harry’s lap, Harry swept a few strands of hair out of Louis’ face. “So, what _ would _ you call it then?” Louis asked.

“Why don’t I show you instead?” Harry said, pulling Louis close and bringing their lips together.

Everything in Louis was screaming to ask Harry what was going on between the two of them. He broke their kiss, “Harry…”

“Yeah baby,” Harry kissed down his neck, licking and nipping.

Louis couldn’t help but throw his head back as Harry’s hands worked their way down Louis’ back, gripping his ass and rocking him back and forth.

“We need to…” Just then Harry bit Louis’ neck, sending shivers down his spine and blood rushing to his groin. Louis reached out, grabbing the back of the couch behind Harry to steady himself as he tried to finish his sentence as Harry continued sucking on his neck, “need to…”

“We need to what baby?” 

Louis loved when Harry called him ‘baby’ and Harry knew that Louis loved it and so he kept doing it whenever they were alone - which was becoming more and more frequent.

Harry kneaded the flesh of Louis’ ass while darkening the bruise on Louis’ neck at the same time, overwhelming him in the best way possible.

A soft whine escaped Louis’ lips as Harry thrust his hips up slightly, causing their cocks to brush against each other.

“Talk,” Louis moaned out.

“Talk later, kiss now,” Harry crushed their lips together, sliding his tongue into Louis’ mouth and as much as Louis wanted to know where he stood with Harry, he wanted Harry’s tongue in his mouth and Harry’s hands all over his body even more.

++++++++++

“Dinner was so good, thank you baby.” Harry kissed the back of Louis’ neck as he put his hands on either side of Louis, leaning him into the counter as Louis was washing the dinner dishes.

“You’re welcome,” Louis said, feeling chills from where Harry was leaving little light kisses along his neck.

Shutting the water off, Louis turned around and wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck, his hands dripping onto the floor behind Harry. “So, can we...can we talk now? There’s something I’d really like to discuss with you.”

“Can you give me like five minutes? I just want to check on Serena really quickly. She hasn’t been herself and I just want to make sure she’s ok.” He gave Louis a soft kiss on the forehead as he pulled away and headed towards Louis’ bedroom where the cat was sleeping on top of Louis’ pillow.

“Yeah,” Louis nodded. “Of course. Let me know if she seems worse and I’ll make her an appointment tomorrow.”

Harry turned and smiled at Louis before leaving the kitchen and out of Louis’ sight.

As he began to finish washing the dishes and wiping the kitchen counters, Louis couldn’t help but think back to the previous night when he and Harry had ended up tumbling into his bed together. He had tried to have a serious discussion with Harry, but had wound up with his cock in Harry’s mouth and his fingers tangled in Harry’s hair as he came down his throat with a loud moan.

Before they could have their conversation, he had fallen asleep with Harry’s breath on the back of his neck.

Louis dried his hands and made his way down the hall to the bedroom, determined to finally have the conversation he’d been wanting to have for the past three weeks.

The door was closed and as he opened it slowly, he saw Harry was fast asleep on top of the comforter with Serena next to him.

Louis checked on her and she seemed to perk up as he approached, so he didn’t think that she needed to be seen by a vet, but he made a mental note to check on her throughout the night.

Grabbing a blanket off of the chair in the corner, Louis covered Harry and leaned over, kissing him on the cheek before closing the door behind him.

He sighed as the door clicked closed - yet another wasted opportunity to have a talk with Harry about the specifics of their relationship.

It seemed as though every time Louis wanted to talk to Harry something came up. Louis found it extremely frustrating, but was even more frustrating was that Harry didn’t seem to be making an effort to have the same conversation with him.

++++++++++

“No! Absolutely not! No!”

“Oh c’mon Lou, isn’t she gorgeous? And she was hungry. I couldn’t just leave her out on the streets to starve.”

“I don’t care.” Louis put his hand on his hips. “You _ cannot _ keep bringing home a new cat every week for christ sakes!”

Louis hadn’t meant to snap, but his frustration over the lack of forward movement in their relationship was beginning to take its toll on him.

For the past month, Harry would come to his cottage almost every night and they would make out until they were both breathless and their lips were swollen.

And while Louis loved kissing Harry, loved feeling Harry’s hands all over his body, he wanted _ more. _ He wanted everyone to know that he and Harry were together. He wanted to go out and _ do _things - as a couple.

Hell, he didn’t even know if they _ were _ a couple. Sure they _ acted _ like a couple - they walked around the property hand in hand, they stole kisses and glances when they thought no one was looking and Harry had even started spending some nights in Louis’ bed.

They had never advanced past heavy make out sessions, as much as Louis wanted them to. 

Every time he had tried to bring up the status and nature of their relationship with Harry, he wound up with Harry’s tongue in his mouth and more questions than answers.

“I can do whatever I want! I’m the fucking prince!” Harry yelled, resulting in the cats scurrying out of the room.

“What you are is _ selfish _! You don’t care about me and you sure as hell don’t care about the well being of those sweet creatures, you just care about what they can do for you.” Louis placed his hands onto the counter, leaning forward towards Harry. “You just want your approval rating to go through the roof, you don’t give one shit about any of those cats.”

“Wow. Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?” He paused, putting his hand out as if to stop himself. “Oh. You know what? It doesn’t matter how you feel seeing as how you’re the _ help _ . Peter was right about you. You walk around here like you own the place, like you _ belong _ here, like you’re one of us. But you don’t, you’re not. You’re _ just _ an _ employee _ so maybe it’s time that you started acting like one.”

Louis’ brows creased as confusion blanketed his face, he felt as though he had just been slapped across the face, punched in the gut. “Only an employee? _ Only an employee? _ That night of the storm? The night that _ you _ came to _ me? _That night...didn’t it mean anything? It must have because you keep coming back, night after night...you keep ending up in my bed. So if it didn’t mean anything...are you just using me?” 

Louis’ voice cracked as tears that were threatening to fall stung his eyes, “I thought we were becoming more than just friends. What you told that interviewer in Switzerland...weren’t you talking about me?”

“You? Ha. Why in the world would I be talking about _ you? _ I was talking about Tom, my cat! And as for us being friends?” Harry shook his head. “As if I would be friends with someone like you, with the _ help. _ Peter told me you’ve been taking advantage of our so-called _ friendship _ and at first I didn’t want to see it, but I’ve had enough. You get paid to take care of _ my _cats, so why don’t you do me a favor and shut your mouth and do your job?”

“You know something? I’ll do us _ both _a favor. I quit.”

He snatched his keys off of the counter and walked out of the cottage, letting the door slam behind him leaving Harry standing in the kitchen with his mouth hanging wide open.

++++++++

** _Harry_ **

“Why the fuck are you meowing? I fed you already, so just go eat. Shoo, go on, get the fuck out of here.”

Tom, the cat Harry had brought home with the beautiful blue eyes, sat staring up at him, meowing loudly and completely ignoring his food. 

Harry threw his hands up in frustration. “What? What the fuck do you want? I’ll give you anything you want, just please stop meowing!”

Tom jumped up onto the counter, walking over to the bag of cat food and promptly knocked it over, morsels scattering all across the floor.

Five more cats rushed in and began scarfing the food down before Harry even had a chance to sweep it up.

“Shoo!” He tried getting them out of the kitchen, but Serena, the cat Harry had rescued from a severe snowstorm the previous winter began immediately throwing up and then Cleo started to howl and Harry wanted to cry.

It was complete and utter chaos and he had absolutely no idea what to do.

He heard a loud bang from down the hall and rushed in to find the litter box had been knocked over, sending pebbles and urine were everywhere.

Harry sank down to the floor and buried his face in his hands. He had tried to prove people wrong, he had wanted to show everyone that he could handle seven cats, that he didn’t need Louis, he could do it all on his own.

Sitting on the floor surrounded by howls and meows and cat litter and vomit he began to cry. For himself, for the cats, for Louis.

++++++++++

“Well, good riddance, we didn’t need him here anyway.”

Harry’s brows creased, practically meeting in the middle. “Why would you say something like that?”

Crossing his arms in front of himself, Peter leaned against the doorway leading to the kitchen. “Because he’s no good for you. He was just using you.”

“Ok, you keep saying that,” Harry started, “but you have no evidence to back up your claims. Louis has been nothing but wonderful and supportive and yet you’ve thought nothing but the worst of him since the day he started.”

Peter laughed, pushing off of the doorway. “No evidence? Have you seen the front page of The Sun today?”

“The Sun?” Harry asked. “No one even reads that trash anymore.”

“Three million people think otherwise, which is how many copies have been sold of this morning’s edition so far,” Peter argued, pulling out his phone and handing it over to Harry. “Scroll to the top, start at the second paragraph.

Doing as Peter said, Harry thumbed to the beginning of the article, finding the second paragraph. He began reading out loud, “According to Tomlinson, 27, he and the young prince have been getting cozy as of late, after Styles, 25, returned home from a humanitarian trip to Switzerland. While visiting the mountainous country, Styles was interviewed and confessed he had feelings for someone with beautiful blue eyes. And who just so happens to have beautiful blue eyes? None other than Tomlinson himself.”

Harry looked up to Peter, “I’m not seeing the problem, everything I’ve read so far has been the truth.”

“Keep reading,” Peter motioned to the phone in Harry’s hand.

Turning back to the article, Harry continued reading from where he had left off, “Tomlinson was eager to tell us all about a romantic evening he and Styles recently spent together at La Forma, London’s newest, hippest restaurant where they dined before leaving and dashing into the back of one of the palaces’ black SUVs to an unknown destination.”

Handing the phone back to Peter, Harry smirked. “Do you honestly believe that Louis is using me? And our relationship? For what? His own personal gain? Attention?”

“Yes I do. And you just read the evidence yourself, so there should be no doubt in your mind.”

“Oh there’s no doubt in my mind, but it has nothing to do with Louis.” Harry sighed, “you’ve been here for six years and in all that time I’ve trusted you, confided in you. Which is why I confided to _ you _ that I was going to ask Louis out on a date to La Forma. Unfortunately he quit before I had the chance to ask him, so this date that’s been written about in such detail _ never _ took place. This article is complete bullshit. _ Your _bullshit.”

Harry watched as all the color drained from Peter’s face, his mouth hanging open. “Um, but, Louis…”

“If I ever hear Louis’ name come out of your mouth again I will kick your ass and ban you from the country forever. You’re fired. You have twenty minutes to pack up your shit and get the fuck off of this property. My lawyer will be contacting you in the morning.”

Peter hung his head as he walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway as Harry turned to find Vanessa standing behind him.

She held her arms out for him and he went to her, laying his head on her shoulder.

“How could I have been so wrong about Peter? For so long? I trusted him, I let him convince me Louis was…” his sentence faded.

“Hey, don’t do that, don’t blame yourself. Peter had proven to be loyal over the years, but it’s obvious that his feelings for you were deeper than anyone knew.” 

Pulling back from Vanessa, he had a look of shock on his face. “What? His feelings for me? That doesn’t make any sense. How did I not see this?”

“He hid it well. But lately some of the staff have been overhearing him talk about you and Louis. He’s been jealous of Louis for some time and wanted him out of the way so that he could have you to himself. Your mother has been waiting for the right time to tell you, but unfortunately it seems as though you’ve learned it the hard way.”

“Oh my god,” Harry gasped, rushing towards the door. “I have to find Louis. I have to make things right.”

++++++++++

Standing in the middle of the cozy living room, Harry felt a twinge of sadness.

The couch where he and Louis would lay and make out on for hours or cozy up together and watch Marvel movies now seemed lonely.

There wasn’t any music coming from the radio on the shelf. He missed hearing Louis singing along to an old Oasis song while he chopped vegetables in the kitchen.

Harry sighed, the kitchen. Where they had had their very first kiss. Where Louis would sit himself up on the counter and watch as Harry cooked, stealing kisses in between stirs.

He couldn’t bring himself to open the bedroom door, couldn’t bear to look at the bed where they shared so many nights, arms and legs tangled together as they whispered secrets and what they dreamt about to each other in the dark.

Walking down the hall towards Louis’ office, Harry noticed two picture frames still hanging on the wall. He approached them, taking the first one down and looking at the picture. 

It was a picture of Louis holding Serena, the one cat that could actually tolerate people, smiling at the camera. Why had Louis taken all of the other pictures, but left this one? Then he looked closer and spotted himself in the picture, watching Louis, a fond look on his face.

Taking the second picture down, he felt tears welling up in his eyes. In the photo, Louis had his arms around Harry’s neck, looking up at him while Harry had his arms around Louis’ waist, his eyes fixated on Louis.

He had no idea where the picture had come from or who had taken it, but he was glad they had - and that Louis had framed it. They looked so happy in the picture, so...in love.

Was he in love with Louis? Hanging the pictures back on the wall, Harry realized that maybe his feelings for Louis were deeper than he had originally thought. 

Slowly opening the door to Louis’ office, he felt as though he was somehow invading Louis’ privacy. It was strange being here without Louis. Gone were his boisterous laugh, his infectious smile. The room was different now - lonely, cold, foreign. He pushed the door the rest of the way and stepped inside, switching on the overhead light.

It was a small office located in the small cottage at the back of the property that had stood empty and unused for a long time. 

When Louis had been hired, Harry insisted that he move into the guest cottage. He claimed it would be easier than having to commute from his apartment in the city. Plus, if he lived on the property he wouldn’t have to go through all the security checkpoints every day. 

And so Louis had moved in and made the small cottage his own, hanging pictures and curtains up, filling the house with plants and music.

But they were all gone now. Louis was gone now.

Harry looked around the tiny room. It was just barely big enough for a desk and chair. There was a pile of blankets in the corner and some cat toys strewn around. The walls were bare except for a calendar hanging above the desk.

There weren’t any windows and standing just inches inside of the office Harry was already feeling a bit claustrophobic. He wondered how Louis was able to spend so much time in this small room that wasn’t much bigger than a closet.

Harry felt something rub up against his leg and looked down. Serena had followed him inside and was looking around, most likely for Louis since he was her favorite person in the entire world.

“Sorry girl,” Harry sighed. “He’s not here.” He made his way around the desk and sat down in Louis’ chair. “But, don’t you worry, I’m going to get him back. Promise.”

She looked up at him skeptically with her one working eye, dismissing him as she walked over to the pile of blankets, digging her way underneath them before disappearing completely.

He smiled softly and began searching through the pile of papers that Louis had left behind. Bills, invoices, a shopping list and a to-do list all sat on top of the desk. Some pens and highlighters stuck out of an old coffee can that Louis had turned into a makeshift pencil holder. There was no computer - Louis had insisted on doing everything on paper. 

The room was extremely impersonal and bare, Harry felt a twinge of guilt that he hadn’t noticed before now.

Harry opened the top drawer, rummaging through several files, looking for anything containing Louis’ address or phone number. Hell, Harry would even settle for an email at this point - he was desperate and needed Louis back. Preferably as soon as possible.

He was just about to give up and admit defeat, admit Louis was gone forever, admit he had severely fucked up, when he noticed the very bottom file was labeled ‘Harry.’ Curious, he took it out of the drawer, placing it on top of the desk, opening it to find three pages, all handwritten by Louis.

The first page was just a list of cat foods and treats - nothing that would help Harry in his search to track down Louis’ whereabouts.

The second page made Harry stop. Louis had written down each of the names of Harry’s cats and personality traits, as well as their likes and dislikes. He began reading the list.

_ Leo. Oldest of the bunch, think he’s about 5 or so. Very lazy, hates any kind of activity. Extremely friendly, but only if you’re wearing black. He’s drawn to it like a magnet and will rub himself against you, ensuring you go home with a fair amount of his fur all over you. Loves bread and cuddling. _

_ Mel. The big grump. We originally thought he was a she! Not very friendly, but does allow you to pick him up, although he freezes and won’t move again until you put him down. Loves spinach, hates fish and enjoys hiding lots of toys under the desk for me to find later. _

_ Katy and Perry. Sister and brother. Always together, they even sleep with each other every night. You’ll never see one without the other. Katy loves eggs while Perry loves fish. Neither of them likes to play with toys, but they both love chasing squirrels all over the property. _

_ Cleo. Quiet, reserved, gentle, does not like a lot of chaos or mayhem. She will howl if things get too loud or disorderly and can only be calmed down by soft whispering and tender petting. Enjoys small bites of yogurt and pasta and despises turkey. _

_ Tom. One of the newest additions. He’s Harry’s favorite, although I think he’s a little shit. Very mischievous and stubborn and only likes one kind of cat food, which he will only eat out of his own special bowl. Enjoys knocking things off my desk and seems to think it’s a game. Loves milk and nipping at your feet. Sleeps with Harry every night and will only answer to Harry’s voice. _

_ Serena. My girl. She is constantly following me around, always curious as to what I’m doing. She likes to come into my office and hide under the blankets in the corner. When Harry’s not looking I’ll sneak her some popcorn. She is majestically beautiful, with one eye and although no one knows what happened to her she’s never shied away from humans or other animals. Loves being petted under her chin and owns a piece of my heart. _

Harry put the paper down, looking to the corner. He could see a lump in the middle of the pile and watched as the blankets rose and fell. 

He sighed, not believing what he had just read. Louis had taken the time to meticulously write down specifics about each cat. There were things that Harry had no clue about - like Katy liking eggs or Tom knocking things off of the desk.

Harry didn’t know anything about any of the cats - he had tried feeding Mel fish which he hadn’t known the cat hated, he had fed Tom out of a bowl other than his special one, he had kept Katy and Perry inside when all they wanted to do was to go outside and chase squirrels and he hadn’t been able to calm Cleo down when the house erupted into complete and utter pandemonium.

He hadn’t known because he just enjoyed finding stray cats and bringing them home, never giving any thought to the fact that they were their own beings - with distinct personalities and traits, with varying likes and dislikes.

Yet Louis knew. He knew and he had written it all out.

He felt horrible. 

Not only because he had never given a second thought to the cats once they became ‘his’ but because he had more or less used them. Mainly for himself since he was lost, looking for a purpose other than just being ‘Prince Harry’ - he wanted something more and had used the cats as a substitute for that thing that would make him feel whole. 

He felt terrible.

He had used these beautiful creatures for attention and clout from the media. He had allowed them to be put in the spotlight to bolster his popularity and approval rating, not giving a second thought as to what happened to them after the cameras were turned off.

Most of all, he felt guilty.

He had treated Louis like an employee, an outsider who didn’t belong. He had snapped at him, taken advantage of him, made him feel like he was simply a hired hand, always at Harry’s beck and call.

Louis was right. He was selfish. He was spoiled and he was only looking out for himself.

Maybe it was Harry who was the outsider, the one that didn’t belong. 

As he placed the paper back into the folder, he noticed the third handwritten note. If the second one made his heart break, this one shattered the pieces that were left behind.

_ Your Royal Highness Queen Anne, _

_ I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the job. I had no idea when you approached me how fulfilling and rewarding it would be. _

_ To an outsider it would seem as though all I do is take care of the palace cats, but it’s much more than that. _

_ I was lost before you offered me the position - struggling with anxiety, floating from job to job without much direction or desire to better myself, content to drift through life, unsure and uncertain. _

_ But now, I’ve found meaning. These cats need me and I need them. By taking care of them I have learned to take care of myself. I have learned that I am worthy and valuable - just as each one of these magnificent creatures. _

_ I have you to thank, but more importantly I have Harry to thank for that. He has shown me friendship and I’m not sure where I would be without him in my life. _

_ As much as I have enjoyed working at the palace, it is with a heavy heart that I must resign from my position. _

_ Please accept my apologies for the short notice but I will be unable to stay until a replacement is hired. I have enclosed a list of the foods I have been feeding each of them, as well as anything I thought was important regarding the cats. _

_ Again, thank you and I’m sorry. _

_ Best Regards, _

_ Louis _

_ P.S. - I don’t think I’ll be able to say a proper good-bye to Harry, so please tell him I said good luck and I hope he finds whatever it is he’s looking for in life. _

_ Also, if you could please say goodbye to the cats for me. I’m truly going to miss each and every one of them. _

Harry let the paper drop from his hands, floating down to the desk as he dropped his head, sobs leaving his body.

What had he done? He had broken Louis’ heart, his spirit. And Louis had taken all the blame. All because Harry was afraid, a coward who let Peter’s words influence him, making him believe Louis was using him.

But Peter had it all wrong, Harry was the one who had been using Louis - used him to take care of the cats solely by himself, used him every night, stringing him along while Harry figured out what it was that he wanted, had never made him feel welcome, had made him feel like an outsider. 

Harry stood up, walking out of the cottage, heading for the main house - to the one person who could help him make it up to Louis, win Louis back.

++++++++++

“Make sure to include those delicious chocolate cookies, I’m sure he’ll enjoy them. Order a dozen. No, better make it two. Oh and have it delivered to Jay’s house since I heard he isn’t doing too well and will be staying there for a while.”

Standing outside of his mother’s office, Harry couldn’t help but overhear the conversation that she was having with her personal assistant, Vanessa. 

He watched as she crossed the threshold into the hallway, smiling as she saw him.

“Oh, hello Harry. How have you been feeling since I saw you yesterday?”

“The same.”

Nodding, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Well, you’ve come to the right person. Take care of yourself. And Louis.” She began heading towards the main hall, leaving Harry standing alone.

Taking a deep breath, he entered his mother’s office. “Is Louis ok? Why is he staying with Jay? And why are you sending him a get well basket?”

She turned. “Well, it’s nice to see you too. And why don’t _ you _ tell me how Louis is, seeing as how _ I _ thought he was happy here. But then he abruptly quit last week.”

“I just…” he shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“Sit down.” She motioned to the couch against the wall and he did as he was told. “I’m not sure exactly what happened between you and Louis, but what I _ do _ know is that you’ve been moping around here for days...and so has Louis.”

Walking over and sitting down next to him, she continued, “I’m not sure if you knew this or not, but Jay and I were once really good friends, before your grandfather died and I became queen. She reached out to me, asking if I would be able to help Louis. He was lost, just like you. And so I said yes and hired him to help you take care of the cats. I had hoped you would both help each other find yourselves. And I thought you had, in fact, he seemed to be doing better...until last week. So if something happened then I -”

“I love him,” Harry blurted out, interrupting his mother.

“Well of course you love Louis, he’s your best fr -”

“No mom, I’m _ in _ love with Louis.

“Oh.” She opened her mouth to say something else, then closed it, deciding to give Harry a chance to explain.

“He’s everything.” Harry sighed before continuing, “everything I’ve ever wanted - he’s kind, he’s smart, he’s funny, but most of all - he’s patient...with me. And he likes me, for _ me. _”

Standing up, he walked over to the oversized chair behind the desk, placing his hands on the back of it for support. “At first I just thought he was cute, which he is.”

Anne smiled, letting out a small chuckle as Harry went on. “But then we started spending time together and I got to know him and he’s just...he’s wonderful. And then I kissed him. And I know that I probably shouldn’t have, but the way that he was looking at me, the way that he said my name, the way he made me feel...Mom, it was nothing like I’ve ever experienced before.”

“So what happened? Why did he leave?”

“I...I...every night I went to the cottage to spend time with him, but never asked him out, never told him how I felt about him.” He stood up straight. “Instead I let Peter convince me Louis was using me for attention or whatever, but he’s not like that, he would never do something like that. He’s good and he’s...he’s so good for me and I never got the chance to tell him. I fucked up.” He hung his head low as tears filled his eyes.

Crossing the room to where he was standing, Anne wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back. “Oh honey, I’m sure you didn’t.”

Small tears began running down his cheeks as he laid his head on his mother’s shoulder. “I did. I was so terrible to him, I said such horrible things. He’s never going to forgive me. I’ve…” His sobs began getting heavier, “I’ve lost him forever.”

“How does he feel about you?” She asked, pulling back and wiping the tears from his cheeks.

“He probably hates me.”

“Well, I doubt that very much. From what I’ve witnessed and heard from the rest of the staff, he feels the same way about you, but there’s only one way to find out.”

“I can’t,” he said, taking a step back from his mother, pacing back and forth across the room. “You don’t understand. He called me selfish and a brat and he’s right. I’m a terrible person, I used those cats, I used him. He’s never going to speak to me again.”

“Now you listen to me,” she raised her voice, causing Harry to stop in place. “You did a wonderful thing for those cats. You rescued them from the streets and gave them a safe, warm home. And ever since that exposé piece, donations _ and _ adoptions have been up at the local shelters in town. People have been sending money and food and almost every single cat has been adopted. So yes, Louis is technically right...you are sometimes selfish and you are sometimes a brat, but you have a good heart and deep down Louis knows that.”

“It doesn’t feel like it. It feels like he’s going to hate me forever.”

“I can promise you he’s not.” The phone started to ring. “I’m sorry sweetie, I’ve been expecting this call all afternoon so I have to take it, but you should talk to Vanessa. She has the address where Louis’ staying.” She kissed him on the cheek and turned to walk to her desk.

He gave her a small smile, leaving the office and heading towards the main living room to find Vanessa.

++++++++++

Harry stood on the front steps of Louis’ mother’s house for what seemed like an eternity. He had practiced his speech about a million times on the drive over, but his nerves were getting the better of him.

He took one final deep breath and rang the doorbell with his free hand, a get well basket in the other.

After about a minute, the door swung open. Louis was standing on the other side, his hair was sticking up in all different directions and there was a pillow crease in his right cheek.

He had obviously just woken up since he was disheveled and disoriented and Harry had never seen him look softer or more beautiful.

“Harry?”

His voice was caught in his throat. Here he was, standing in front of the man that he was in love with, holding a get well basket, needing to apologize and ask for forgiveness, yet his brain had short circuited and he was left speechless.

“What are...what are you doing here?” Louis asked, wiping his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Harry was going to lay it all out on the line. He was going to tell Louis exactly how he felt, it was now or never.

“I lied,” he started, pausing, putting the basket down on the front porch and wiping his palms onto his jeans. He took another deeper, longer breath, looking down at his feet. “I lied about the interview in Switzerland. The interviewer asked me if I had someone special and the only person I could think of was you. Only you. Always you.”

He slowly looked up, meeting Louis’ eyes, seeing confusion and hurt and Harry wanted nothing more than to take it all away. 

“After I kissed you, I wanted to tell you how I felt about you, but every time I tried I would chicken out. Being with you is so overwhelming and I was so afraid that you didn’t feel the same way.”

“Harry…”

“I also owe you an apology. You were right. I’m selfish and I’m spoiled and I’m a brat and I don’t deserve your forgiveness for the things I said, but I am going to ask anyway. I am going to ask for your forgiveness because I miss you and I need you and I...Louis, I love you.”

“I’m sorry. What?”

“I said -”

“Oh I heard you, I just don’t believe you. Is this some kind of sick joke to you? Lie to me, tell me exactly what I want to hear just to get me to come back and treat me like crap all over again just so I’ll take care of your precious cats - cats that you don’t even give two shits about.”

“No. It’s not like that, Louis. It’s not like that at all.”

“I really don’t -”

“Three minutes. Please,” Harry interrupted. “Just give me three minutes and then if you still want me to leave, I will. I’ll leave and I’ll never bother you again. Please.”

Louis was silent for a moment before speaking. “Clock’s ticking.”

“Thank you.” He ran his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath. “You were right. I was using the cats and you. I had no idea what I wanted and thought the cats would be an easy way for me to be popular and relevant. But it was wrong, I was wrong.”

He stopped, looking to Louis, their eyes locking. Louis raised an eyebrow as a sign for Harry to go on. So he did.

“Those things that I said to you...Louis I am so sorry. I didn’t mean any of them and I wish I could take them all back. You’re so kind and patient and smart and everything that I wish that I could be. I was…” Harry looked down to his shoes, lowering his voice. “I was scared and I took it out on you.”

“Scared?” Louis asked. “You’re the prince, what do you have to be scared of?”

“Of you,” he said, slowly raising his eyes to meet Louis’. “Of my feelings for you. That night, the night of the storm. I never told you what happened. I found a cat meowing outside the front gates and before I could get the gates open to get to her, a car came speeding by and hit her. I tried to save her…” He paused, brushing a tear away from his cheek. “But the damage was done. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew where to go. I went to you...because I needed you. I need you, Louis. And you took care of me and then we kissed...and that scared the hell out of me. I’ve never needed anyone the way that I need you...I’ve never loved anyone the way that I love you.”

Louis stood staring at him, not responding and Harry realized that he was too late. He had lost Louis forever. “I...this...I’m sorry, I should go.” He turned to walk away.

“No!” Louis called out. “Don’t go. Please. Stay.”

Harry paused, turning back around as Louis continued.

“I’m just...Harry you have to stop playing games with me. I thought...I thought there was something between us. That night. You felt it right? I know that you did because we started getting closer, you came to me every night. I told you things I’ve never said to someone else out loud. But then you were so cruel and…” Louis began sobbing. “I love you and you broke my heart.”

Harry reached out, taking a hold of Louis’ hands in his. “I felt it. I did. I _ do. _I felt it and it scared me because this thing between us is so overwhelming and I am just so scared because I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and it’s dizzying sometimes how much I love you.” Harry took a deep breath. “Because I do. I love you and I didn’t realize it until I saw the list you wrote about the cats and I love you and I’m scared because I fucked up and you left and I have no idea how you feel about me and -”

Harry was cut off as Louis lunged forward and crashed his lips onto Harry’s, wrapping his arms around Harry’s neck.

Reaching out and holding onto Louis’ hips, Harry pulled him closer, deepening their kiss and felt Louis relax, leaning into him.

Louis broke their kiss first, looking up to Harry. “Does that answer your question?”

A smirk crept onto Harry face. “Hmm, I’m not sure...maybe you could do it again...you know, just so I can be sure.”

Louis rolled his eyes, chuckling a little, but tugged Harry’s neck down until their lips met anyway.

++++++++++

** _1 year later…_ **

“Harry? You home?”

Louis heaved the grocery bags onto the counter, calling out again, “Harry?”

Still receiving no answer, he began walking through the house that he and Harry shared.

The past year had its ups and downs for them, it took a lot of work to get past their tumultuous argument. Louis needed time to let his heart heal and to let Harry back in.

But for the past seven months things had been going wonderfully for them. They moved into the house that Harry lived in, it was bigger and closer to the main house. It was bittersweet leaving his little cottage near the back of the property, but Harry told him that he could still use it as an office or for when he just needed time alone.

The other big thing that had happened was that he and Harry had opened a cat adoption center.

After Louis had forgiven Harry and they were officially together, they had had a long discussion about the cats and what Harry was doing with them. They decided to open the center as a way to get stray cats off of the streets and into good, loving homes.

They still had three cats - Tom, Serena and a new cat named Lilac they had found wandering the woods behind the cottage.

The other cats were adopted by families the first day the center opened. Louis missed them dearly, but knew that it was the right thing to do. They needed lots of attention and he and Harry were simply unable to devote every single waking minute to them.

“Harry?”

Louis made his way up the stairs and heard a commotion in their bedroom. Expecting pandemonium, he rushed down the hallway, throwing the door open. ”Oh no. No, no n- what is all this?”

“Louis. You’re back early. I’m not ready yet.”

Looking around their bedroom, Louis took in the sight. There were candles everywhere, at least two dozen and Harry had picked Louis’ favorite flowers from the garden and had put them in vases around the room.

“Ready for what?”

Harry walked over, taking Louis’ hands in his. “You know I love our life together, right?”

Louis’ eyes widened. “Y...yes.”

“And you know that I love you most of all, right?”

Harry asked, getting down on one knee.

“Harry,” Louis said softly, his voice cracking.

“You make me so incredibly happy, you make me feel so loved and you make me feel like I can do anything. I hope that I make you feel the same way and I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy and making you feel loved and making you feel like you can do anything.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box, opening it to reveal a beautiful band of diamonds.

Louis gasped, bringing his hands up to his mouth, tears streaming down his face.

Pulling the ring from the box, Harry took Louis’ left hand. “Louis, will you marry me?”

He nodded. “Yes! Oh my god, yes! Yes I’ll marry you.”

Harry slipped the ring onto Louis’ finger, standing to caress his face, bringing their lips together.

They stood in their bedroom, kissing and crying until Louis burst out laughing.

Creases formed in Harry's forehead as he looked to Louis in confusion. “What’s so funny?”

“I thought...I thought you were going to ask if we could adopt another cat.”

“Ha, ha. Yeah...umm, about that.”

_ Meow. _

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #51 - When Louis took the job as royal pet caretaker he didn’t expect to be taking care of 10 cats, and prince Harry keeps saving and bringing home stray cats. Much to louis dismay bc he doesn’t like cats but this job pays too well to give it up but he slowly starts to love the kittens and love their owner. (Bonus points for a kitten that hates Louis and is Louis reincarnated in car form aka a little shit)


End file.
